This week team Soul Graffiti has packed up our belongings for a few days camping out on the floor of a village church. When we arrived we thought we were teaching english and potentially visiting a few schools but that was not correct. In reality we have been given an amazing opportunity to work alongside a family from the church congregation who lost a large part of their home to a fire.
Today we met them for the first time and got to work in their field cutting down the dying corn stalks, picking weeds and harvesting bean seeds for next years crop. As we worked Igor, the man who owns the house, pointed things out to us and encouraged us to try some of the Ukrainian produce he grows. We admired the many piles of pumpkins and squash he grew this year and sampled bites of a root like vegetable that tastes like radish and looks like a small pear called ‘ground pear’. We also ate fresh tomatoes and the last grapes of the season on the vines along the field in addition to finding a beet the size of Andrew’s head. Of course we also did a lot of work in between our fun times out in the garden.
Around noon Igor came out to get us so that we could enjoy the amazing meal his wife had prepared for us. We ate our fill of mashed potatoes, sausages, pickles, relish and homemade cherry juice. Then we were blown away by the amazing array of orange slices, cookies and chocolate they continued to bless us with. Our team’s love language is food and it’s not all that often that we get to enjoy such amazing hospitality. We felt just like family as we kept up a lively conversation with Igor, his wife and his 3 baby girls.
As we talked Igor explained how much he appreciated all of our help. He told us about the fire that had taken away his family’s home and showed us the work that he’s been doing in his free time to restore all that was lost. Igor is a hard working man caught between raising his beautiful daughters and 17 year old son, running a farm, harvesting his fields, doing ministry in the church, doing odd jobs to support his family and fixing his house so that his family can live in it. But when we entered his house there was no trace of bitterness or fatigue. He welcomed us warmly and enthusiastically. In joy he showed us through his fields and happily brought us into his home for lunch. He introduced us to his family with pride, speaking highly of his children and openly showing his affection for them.
Not only was he excited to tell us about his home and family, he was excited to hear our stories and get to know us. We complimented his wife’s cooking and Igor told us that everything that we were eating except the sausage was grown in their garden and prepared by his wife. As the conversation continued he asked us what kinds of food we eat at home and when he found out that none of us had tried goose before he said, “My wife wants to cook a goose for you.” The next day after working in the field we enjoyed the amazing hospitality of his family and an amazing goose dinner.
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But seriously, every single place we go to we are blessed to belong to the largest family in the world. Whether we are enjoying the outrageous love and generosity of Pastor Sylvie and the people of his church in India or the love and compassion of Roselette, Nary and Merette in Cambodia – God’s church family is in action everywhere. It is an honour to belong to this loving and gracious community but it also stands as a challenge. The Bible says that the world will know we are Christians by our love. It also states that we are to “do everything in love.”
Love goes beyond denominations, preferences and protest lines. Love covers a multitude of sins. It spans all races, religions and life style choices. It is in fact the only thing that we as Christians are commanded to do. In the village this week we have seen a man who lives from an overflow of joy and love. It touches everything he is and does. We not only seen that love in the way he spoke about God, treated us or demonstrated affection towards his family we felt it in the peace and the contentment that lingered in his presence.
Love… Simple. Complex. Beautiful enough to cost the life of a very unlucky goose.
